In the last few years many inexpensive PCB services have popped up. It used to be that buying PCBs in hobby quantities was expensive and filled with gotchas.

In the last few years many inexpensive PCB services have popped up. It used to be that buying PCBs in hobby quantities was expensive and filled with gotchas.

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Now, places like Seeed Studio can send your PCBs to the inexpensive prototyping factory in Shenzhen China, and ship them anywhere in the world at great prices. You get two-sided PCBs, with the works, starting at $1 per 5x5cm PCB. Turnaround is a few days, worldwide shipping starts at $3. It's a happy day for electronics hobbyists.

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Now, places like [http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/?products_id=835 Seeed Studio] will send your PCBs to the inexpensive prototyping factory in Shenzhen China, and ship them anywhere in the world at great prices. You get two-sided PCBs, with the works, starting at $1 per 5x5cm PCB. Turnaround is a few days, worldwide shipping starts at $3. It's a happy day for electronics hobbyists.

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Others services like DorkBotPBX and BatchPCB pool multiple orders so the group benefits from bulk pricing. Enough people are using these services that turnaround is quite fast. DorkBotPBX offers signature purple PCBs that have become quite popular.

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Others services like [http://dorkbotpdx.org/wiki/pcb_order DorkBotPDX] and [http://batchpcb.com/index.php/Products BatchPCB] pool multiple orders so the group benefits from bulk pricing. Enough people are using these services that turnaround is quite fast. DorkBotPDX offers signature purple PCBs that have become quite popular.

Our goal is to help you get your Eagle PCB designs manufactured. We show our 'pre-flight' checks to help spot problems before ordering boards. See examples of errors like under etching, over etching, and misaligned vias.

Our goal is to help you get your Eagle PCB designs manufactured. We show our 'pre-flight' checks to help spot problems before ordering boards. See examples of errors like under etching, over etching, and misaligned vias.

These are the seven layers/files typically required to manufacturer PCBs.

==Preview gerbers==

==Preview gerbers==

Line 122:

Line 124:

[[image:Eagle-Gerb2.jpg|600px]]

[[image:Eagle-Gerb2.jpg|600px]]

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You should a version of your PCB with each layer displayed as a different color. Scroll through the layers using the lower left corner drop down menu.

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You should see a version of your PCB with each layer displayed as a different color. Scroll through the layers using the lower left corner drop down menu.

Look for any errors that might have happened before or after generating the gerbers. [http://dangerousprototypes.com/2011/11/21/gerber-preview-software-and-usage-summary/ More common ones are]:

Look for any errors that might have happened before or after generating the gerbers. [http://dangerousprototypes.com/2011/11/21/gerber-preview-software-and-usage-summary/ More common ones are]:

Line 134:

Line 136:

==Zip the files and submit them==

==Zip the files and submit them==

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Now the gerbers are ready to go to the board house. Each service has different requirements, but most involve zipping the files and emailing them to someone. Submit by email to Seeed Studio, Itead, and DorkBotPCX. Upload via web page at BatchPCB.

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Now the gerbers are ready to go to the board house. Each service has different requirements, but most involve zipping the files and emailing them to someone. Submit by email to Seeed Studio, Itead, and DorkBotPDX. Upload via web page at BatchPCB.

==Get your boards==

==Get your boards==

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In our experience, services take about this long from order to your hands:

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[http://dangerousprototypes.com/2012/02/13/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-your-pcbs/ In our experience], it takes about this long from order to your hands:

*Seeed Studio, from 2 to 4 weeks

*Seeed Studio, from 2 to 4 weeks

*ITead Studio, from 2 to 4 weeks

*ITead Studio, from 2 to 4 weeks

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*DorkBotPBX, around 2 weeks

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*DorkBotPDX, around 2 to 4 weeks

*BatchPCB, from 2 to 4 weeks

*BatchPCB, from 2 to 4 weeks

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Line 161:

===Broken traces===

===Broken traces===

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[[image:pcb-trace-break.jpg|250px]]

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Over etching removes too much copper and breaks traces.

Over etching removes too much copper and breaks traces.

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We need a picture of this, can you help?

We need a picture of this, can you help?

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Image source: [http://blog.greg.so/ Greeeg] CC BY-SA

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===Misaligned vias===

===Misaligned vias===

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The hole that connects two layers can be drilled outside the via. This might break the connection between layers, or connect a trace to another nearby trace.

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[[file:pcb-via-misaligned.jpg|250px]]

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The hole that connects two layers is drilled outside the via. This might break the connection between layers, or connect a trace to another nearby trace. In this picture the via is misaligned, but didn't break the nearby trace because of adequate clearance.

*Check your board house production limits, avoid working at the smallest sizes

*Check your board house production limits, avoid working at the smallest sizes

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*Increase any ground plane isolation so slightly miss-drilled holes don't short the trace to ground

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*Increase any [[Get_your_PCBs_made#Polygon_fill_isolation|ground plane isolation]] so slightly miss-drilled holes don't short the trace to ground

We need a picture of this, can you help?

We need a picture of this, can you help?

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==Conclusion==

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Good luck with your PCBs. Don’t forget to share your latest creations in the [http://dangerousprototypes.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=56 project log forum] and through [http://dangerousprototypes.com/contact the contact form].

Overview

In the last few years many inexpensive PCB services have popped up. It used to be that buying PCBs in hobby quantities was expensive and filled with gotchas.

Now, places like Seeed Studio will send your PCBs to the inexpensive prototyping factory in Shenzhen China, and ship them anywhere in the world at great prices. You get two-sided PCBs, with the works, starting at $1 per 5x5cm PCB. Turnaround is a few days, worldwide shipping starts at $3. It's a happy day for electronics hobbyists.

Others services like DorkBotPDX and BatchPCB pool multiple orders so the group benefits from bulk pricing. Enough people are using these services that turnaround is quite fast. DorkBotPDX offers signature purple PCBs that have become quite popular.

Our goal is to help you get your Eagle PCB designs manufactured. We show our 'pre-flight' checks to help spot problems before ordering boards. See examples of errors like under etching, over etching, and misaligned vias.

Check for air wires

It's easy to miss a small break in a trace, and Eagle doesn't provide any flashing warning signs. The zoom-unrouted ULP script will zoom in on any broken traces and save you headaches later.

Design rule check

Make sure your design is within the specifications of the PCB service you use. Most hobbyist-friendly PCB services provide an Eagle design rule check file that can highlight anything that can't be reliably produced.

Eagle processes the DRC file and evaluates the board automatically. To run a design rule check:

Open your PCB layout in Eagle

Go to Tools > DRC...

A DRC window will open. Load the manufacturer's DRC file.

Click ok to start the check

From the DRC window you can adjustment the various design specifications like minimum trace width, clearance, etc. If a board doesn't need the smallest stuff the factory can make, we increase these settings a few mils as a safety margin.

The DRC will scan your board and log all the areas that go outside the manufacturer's limits. Click on various log entries to highlight each problem on the PCB.

After fixing the errors, run the DRC again to see if everything passes. Rinse and repeat until the board passes the DRC.

Generate gerbers

Once your board is electrically sound, it's time to generate files that the manufacturer can use in production. Gerber formatted files, usually just called gerbers, are files any respectable PCB house can use to make boards.

On the next screen (shown above) select the "Leading zero suppression" radio button, then select "2 4". Click OK

You should see a version of your PCB with each layer displayed as a different color. Scroll through the layers using the lower left corner drop down menu.

Look for any errors that might have happened before or after generating the gerbers. More common ones are:

Problems with the footprint, the solder pad is sometimes buried by mask.

Drills outside board or flipped.

CAM didn’t export expected silkscreen layers.

Evaluating not only whether a silkscreen is present, but if it’s legible (size, location, etc).

Quickly seeing whether all of the vias on a board are tented or not.

One last doublecheck to make sure soldermask is on the correct side for the correct component (PCB’s that have components on both sides).

Zip the files and submit them

Now the gerbers are ready to go to the board house. Each service has different requirements, but most involve zipping the files and emailing them to someone. Submit by email to Seeed Studio, Itead, and DorkBotPDX. Upload via web page at BatchPCB.

Get your boards

Seeed and ITead offer cheaper boards if you only test 50% of them. The tested boards will be wrapped in masking tape and/or marked on the side with a marker.

Inspection

Before you build the first PCB, spend five minutes looking it over. E-tested PCBs will nearly always be good. If a PCB is untested then you absolutely must inspect the board, or risk a broken or shorted trace under a chip that you'll never be able to find.

Here are three common problems. Eliminate these and save hours and days of debugging headaches.

Misaligned vias

The hole that connects two layers is drilled outside the via. This might break the connection between layers, or connect a trace to another nearby trace. In this picture the via is misaligned, but didn't break the nearby trace because of adequate clearance.

Avoid this by:

Using larger vias and larger annular rings (the copper pad around the via hole)

Check your board house production limits, avoid working at the smallest sizes